Mountain Homecoming

by Sandra Robbins

  Her father’s words had proven true through the years. Even when she felt the sadness creeping back into her soul, she could look at the mountains and know God hadn’t forgotten her. She closed her eyes and thanked Him for giving her that visible sign of His presence.

  When she’d finished praying, she opened her eyes and turned toward the house. The whinny of a horse near the barn caught her attention, and she glanced over her shoulder. Her fingers tightened on her basket as Matthew Jackson, leading his saddled horse, emerged from the barnyard and walked toward her. Scout trotted alongside him.

  His steady gaze locked on her, and he didn’t waver as he approached. When he was a few feet away, he came to a stop, but Scout ran to her and jumped up on her. Rani pulled her gaze away from Matthew, leaned over, and scratched Scout behind the ears. “How are you this morning, boy? I thought you were probably off chasing a rabbit.”

  She looked up slowly and stared into Matthew’s face. He pushed the hat he wore back on his head and nodded. “He’s been keeping me company at the barn.” His somber expression gave no hint of whether he was glad to see her or not.

  Rani straightened, shifted the basket of eggs in front of her, and grasped the handle with both hands. “Are you leaving already?”

  “Yes.” He squinted up at the sun. “I’m later getting off than I meant to be, but I got carried away visiting with Anna and Granny during breakfast. I was just on my way back to the house to tell them I was leaving.”

  “Then I’m glad I saw you before you left. Will you be back tonight?”

  He shook his head. “I don’t think so. I’m going to take a better look around my place this morning and see what I need to get for repairs. I’ll probably go on to Townsend this afternoon to buy what I need.”

  “I don’t mean to sound discouraging, but from the looks of the cabin you’re going to need a lot of materials. And it’s going to take a good amount of work.”

  “I know, but I’m up to it. Coming back and making a go on that piece of land is what’s kept me going for years. Besides, I’ve already had an offer to help rebuild.”

  “You have? Who?”

  A smile erased his impassive expression. “George volunteered last night. Of course that was before you broke his heart. If he’s changed his mind, I may have you to blame.”

  Her cheeks burned as if they were on fire, and she started to make one of her biting retorts. Then she saw the teasing glint in his eyes and laughed. “Well, don’t expect me to take his place. I’m helpless when it comes to using a hammer.”

  “I’ll remember that, but I’m sure there are lots of other things you’re good at.”

  She sighed. “That’s what Mama and Granny keep telling me, but I don’t know what they are. Maybe I’ll find out some day.”

  “Maybe so.” His horse tossed her head and snorted. Matthew reached up and placed his hand on the mare’s neck without breaking eye contact with her.

  He was doing it again—letting his gaze drift over her face while a slight smile pulled at his lips. And it was producing the same effect in her it had last night. She took a deep breath in hopes of calming the increased pumping of her heart. “So, did Mama fix you some food to take with you?”

  “She did. I have it in my saddlebags.”

  “Then I’d better let you go so you can get on with your work.” She started to back away but stopped. She couldn’t let him leave without asking the question that burned in her mind. “When will you be back?”

  “I hope I won’t be gone longer than three days, so I should be back sometime Saturday afternoon. I want to be here for Granny’s birthday celebration.”

  “She would be upset if you were to miss her shindig, as she calls it. She’s really been looking forward to this for months. Besides, you’ll get to see all your old friends.”

  A frown flickered across his face. “I wouldn’t call them friends, Rani. Our family didn’t have friends in the Cove. I doubt if anybody besides Granny and your parents will be glad I’m there.”

  The sad look on his face pricked her heart, and she took a step toward him. “You’re forgetting me. I’ll be glad you’re there.”

  His gaze drifted over her face for a moment. “Will you? Have you changed your mind about me?”

  Her pulse hammered, and she pressed the basket she held closer to her body. “If I remember correctly, I apologized last night, and we agreed to be friends. I look forward to getting to know you better.”

  He swallowed, and his Adam’s apple bobbed. “I’d like that, Rani. I haven’t had any friends in a long time.”

  She smiled. “Then it’s good you came home.”

  “Home.” He almost whispered the word. “That’s a mighty sweet word.”

  “Yes, it is.” She cleared her throat and glanced toward the house. “Now you should get going, and I need to get these eggs inside to Mama before she comes after me. She’s already upset with me because I overslept this morning and missed breakfast.”

  A laugh rumbled in his throat. “Yeah, she did say something about that. I’ll go with you and tell them goodbye.”

  He tied his horse to the clothesline and fell into step beside her. Rani glanced at him out of the corner of her eye. He was taller than George, and the top of her head appeared about level with Matthew’s shoulder. The outline of rippling muscles beneath his shirt sleeves sent a surge of pleasure through her. Her breath caught in her throat at the thought niggling in the back of her mind. Without a doubt Matthew Jackson was the most handsome man she’d ever met, and just being near him stirred her in ways no one else ever had.

  Her face grew warm, and she hurried forward to open the back door. Just as she reached for the latch, his hand reached around her and grabbed hold of it. They stood so close together her shoulder touched his chest. “I’ll get it,” he said. With a shove he pushed the door open and stepped back for her to enter.

  Granny still sat where she’d been when Rani had left to gather the eggs. A cup of coffee sat on the table in front of her, and she raised it to her mouth as they entered the kitchen. Rani hurried to her mother who stood at the sink washing dishes. Behind her she heard Matthew approach Granny.

  “Here are the eggs, Mama.” She set the basket on a shelf beside the stove and inhaled. “Mmm, something smells good. Did you make more biscuits?”

  “I had some dough left over and cut out a few for you.” She arched an eyebrow. “Since you missed breakfast.”

  “Thanks. You are too good to me. I’m starved this morning.” Rani put her arm around her mother’s shoulders and gave her a hug. As she turned toward the table, Matthew leaned over and planted a kiss on Granny’s cheek. She reached up and patted his cheek.

  “I wanted to say goodbye before I took off. I should be back in a few days.”

  Granny swiveled in her chair and stared up at him. “Now you be careful, boy. And you come back here as soon as you can.”

  “I will, Granny,” he said. “And take care of my new friend for me while I’m gone.”

  Granny tilted her head to one side and stared up at him. “What new friend?”

  Rani’s eyes grew wide and her body tensed. He glanced at her, and the twinkle in his eyes set her heart to racing. “Scout.”

  Mama turned and propped one hand on her hip. “What? That dog doesn’t like anybody outside of our family. How did you manage that?”

  Matthew shrugged. “I sat out on the porch after everybody went to bed last night, and before I knew it Scout was lying beside me. He followed me to the barn this morning too.”

  Granny shook her head and laughed. “Then you oughta feel real special. You the first person I’ve known him to take a likin’ to.”

  “Yeah, I remember how he barked at George last night.” He looked at Rani, and a teasing smile pulled at his mouth.

  Her face burned, but she managed to smile. “I can’t figure out why Scout doesn’t like George.”

  “Well, I’ll sure try not to do anything to cause him to mistrust me
. I like it better when he’s licking my hand than when he’s trying to attack me.” He straightened his shoulders and backed toward the door. “Now I’d better be on my way. Much as I’d like to, I can’t stay here all day and keep company with you three lovely ladies.”

  Granny waved her hand in dismissal. “Now quit that butterin’ us up. We already right taken with you.”

  “That’s also good to know, Granny.” Matthew laughed and directed one last glance at Rani before he turned toward the door.

  “Goodbye, Matthew. Hurry back!” her mother called out.

  “Bye, Anna.”

  Rani hurried to the door and stared after him as he walked toward the clothesline. He untied his horse and started to mount, but he turned and looked back at her. He smiled and tipped his hat before he pulled himself into the saddle and galloped from the yard.

  Rani closed her eyes. Before yesterday, Matthew Jackson had been someone she’d only known from the stories her parents told. Now that had changed. He had come into their home, and his brooding eyes and quick smile had touched her soul. Was it possible you could meet someone and know right away there was some kind of special bond between you?

  Whether that was true or not, she knew that after the time she’d spent with Matthew last night and this morning, something in her life had changed. As of now, however, she had no idea what it was.

  Her father pulled the buggy to a stop in front of Cecil and Pearl Davis’s cabin and glanced over at Rani beside him. “I’m glad you came today. I know Pearl will be glad to see you.”

  Rani’s chin trembled, and she stared down at her hands. “I wish I was a little girl again, and I was coming to play with Josie. It still doesn’t seem real that she’s not in the Cove anymore.”

  “I know. There are a lot of familiar faces gone now.” Her father straightened and smiled. “Then there are some new ones, like Matthew.”

  Rani’s skin warmed, and she reached for the basket her mother had sent to Mrs. Davis. Setting it in her lap, she lifted the cover and busied herself checking the contents. “I hope nothing spilled on our way over here. The roads seemed a little bumpy today.”

  Her father hopped out of the buggy to tie the horse to a tree, and she breathed a sigh of relief. She hoped her face hadn’t disclosed how much the mention of Matthew’s name excited her. He’d been gone for two days now, and all she could do was think about him. Maybe this trip to visit Josie’s parents would give her something else to occupy her mind for a while.

  As she climbed down from the buggy, Mrs. Davis ran out the front door of the cabin. A big smile covered her face, and she wiped her hands on her apron. “Cecil,” she yelled. “We got comp’ny. Come see who done come a-visitin’.”

  The words were barely out of her mouth before Mr. Davis ambled around the side of the cabin from the back yard. Ever since she was a child, Rani had thought him the tallest and one of the strongest men she’d ever seen, but his size deceived many who didn’t know him. Those who took the time to get to know the man behind what appeared to be an impenetrable façade found he had a tender heart for his friends and family. He was always the first to help when problems arose in the Cove.

  His mouth cracked into a half smile when he spotted Rani coming toward him. His wife ran from the porch and reached her first. She threw her arms around Rani and hugged her. “It’s so good to see you, darlin’. It seems like you ain’t been over here in months.” She held Rani at arms’ length and glanced over her shoulder at her husband. “Don’t she look good, Cecil?”

  He nodded. “She shore does.”

  Rani wriggled out of Mrs. Davis’s grasp and held out the basket. “Mama sent fresh bread and some of the dumplings she made last night. And Granny stuck in one of her apple pies.”

  Mrs. Davis’s eyes lit up. “Did you hear that, Cecil? One of Granny’s pies.”

  “Tell her we be beholden to her.”

  Her father walked up behind Rani and put his arm around her shoulders. “No need for that. Not with all you’ve done for us. After that bad storm last spring knocked part of our chimney down, I don’t reckon we’d have one now if you hadn’t laid the bricks.”

  Mr. Davis stuck his hands in his pockets and nodded again. “Glad I could help out, Simon.”

  Mrs. Davis grabbed Rani’s hand and pulled her toward the cabin. “Let’s me and you go inside and visit while the men folks talk. I want to know all that’s been a-goin’ on with you since I last seen you.”

  Rani followed Mrs. Davis into the cabin and to the kitchen. Through the years very little had changed in this house where she’d spent so many hours when she was growing up. There were still few furnishings, and at times Rani knew there had been little food. One thing the home had never lacked was love. Josie had always been the bright spot in her parents’ harsh life.

  “Now you set right down at the table, and I’ll cut you a piece of Granny’s pie.”

  Rani slid into the chair and folded her arms on the table. “No thanks. Poppa and I can’t stay long, and Mama will have dinner ready when we get back. I just wanted to come see you. I miss visiting here.”

  Tears glistened in Mrs. Davis’s eyes. “I miss you too. It don’t seem right that you and Josie are all grown up. And I cain’t hardly believe Josie is a married woman with a baby.” She smiled at the mention of her daughter’s name. “But I reckon she’s got a good husband, and Ted’s gonna take care of her.”

  “I’m sure he will. Have you heard from them since they left for Townsend?”

  She shook her head. “Don’t think we’ve hardly had time for a letter to get back to us, but maybe soon. I shore do miss that baby.”

  Rani laughed. “He was so cute the other day when I helped Josie pack.”

  Mrs. Davis dropped down in the chair across from Rani and grinned. “That was real sweet of you to go help Josie. I remember when me and Josie saw you for the first time after you was born. Josie was about three years old, and she said right then and there that you was gonna be her baby. She loved you from the start, and I reckon you and her been best friends ever since.”

  “Yes, we have. I’m sure going to miss her. Maybe one of these days I’ll get over to Townsend to visit her. Or maybe she’ll come home for a visit.”

  Mrs. Davis shook her head. “I don’t know when that will be. I ’spect Ted’s gonna be busy workin’. But he did say his folks might go over to Townsend for a visit sometime this summer. Maybe you could go with them.”

  “Oh, I wouldn’t want to intrude on a family visit.”

  Mrs. Davis waved her hand in dismissal and chuckled. “Intrude? From what Josie been a-tellin’ me you’re practic’ly family with the Fergusons since you thinkin’ about marrying George. That shore would be nice if’n the two of you could be sisters.”

  Rani’s mouth dropped open, and she shook her head. “I don’t know where Josie gets her ideas sometimes. She’s the one who wants me to marry George. I don’t want that.”

  “Why not? He’s a good boy.”

  “I know he is, and he’s a good friend. But we’re not getting married.”

  Mrs. Davis tilted her head to one side and directed a penetrating stare at her. “You could do a lot worse than George. He comes from one of the nicest families in the Cove.”

  Rani sighed. “I know. Josie’s tried to convince me.”

  Mrs. Davis reached over and patted her hand. “Then think about what she’s said.”

  “I know.” Rani straightened in her chair and smiled. “Mrs. Davis, I’ve changed my mind. I think I’ll have a small piece of Granny’s pie.”

  “I knowed you couldn’t pass it up.” She jumped to her feet and hurried to the cupboard to get a plate.

  Rani tried to concentrate on what Mrs. Davis was saying as she cut her a piece of pie, but it was impossible. All she could think about was how sad Josie had looked when Rani discovered that Josie had married a man she didn’t love. She wondered how often Mrs. Davis had told her daughter what a good husband Ted would be. And he wa
s a good husband. The sad part of it all was that Josie’s heart belonged to someone else.

  She didn’t want to live like that. She wanted a man who made her heart race every time she looked at him—the way it had when Matthew tipped his hat to her the morning he left for Townsend. She took a bite of the pie when it was placed in front of her, but even Granny’s cooking couldn’t pull her thoughts away today.

  Thirty minutes later Rani breathed a sigh of relief when her father called out that it was time to leave. Her visit with Josie’s mother had proved unsettling. It seemed everyone close to her had decided she would marry George. Even her own mother had hinted at it several times.

  As she stepped into the buggy to leave, she couldn’t help wishing for the first time in her life she hadn’t come to the Davis home today. But as much as she missed Josie, she knew the turmoil she was feeling wasn’t because of her friend’s absence. It was because of the strange emotions just the thought of Matthew produced in her.

  They’d only gone a short distance when her father glanced at her and smiled. “Cecil and Pearl seemed happy to see you today.”

  “Yes.”

  A frown pulled his eyebrows across his nose. “You don’t seem very talkative. Did something happen?”

  She ran her perspiring hands down her skirt to smooth it out and then clenched her fists in her lap. “Sort of.”

  Her father pulled the horse to a stop and turned to face her. “Rani, if something’s bothering you, I want to know what it is.”

  “Oh, Poppa,” she said, “why do people think they have the right to tell you what you need to do?”

  A surprised look flashed across his face, and he leaned back in the buggy seat. “I don’t know. I guess that’s a question people have been asking since the beginning of time.” He pushed his hat back on his head and propped his foot on the dash rail. “Maybe they think they’re giving you good advice. Your mother and I have always tried to help you make good decisions because we don’t want to see you get hurt.”

  She pounded her fists on her knees and gritted her teeth. “But what if you knew you’d end up getting hurt in the long run if you followed their advice?”